On the final sitting day of parliament last week, a duo named Mary and Joe were name-checked 10 times by members of the Victorian government.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, described the pair as “working people – people with jobs to do and with kids to raise”, while the transport infrastructure minister, Gabrielle Williams, said they were “Victorians who get up early, they work hard and they want a fair go”. The health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, said the government “thinks about Mary and Joe every single day”, while the energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said they were “helping Victorians like Mary and Joe” deal with the cost of living.
